Scottish Ballet Brings A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE to Kirkwall

Following the hugely successful mainland tour of A Streetcar Named Desire, and an exciting US premiere tour of The Crucible, Scottish Ballet will take the full production of Streetcar to Kirkwall, as part of the St Magnus Festival, and then to Stornoway on Lewis. And, as an exclusive for the Scottish islands tour, Scottish Ballet will also be presenting the family-friendly Nutcracker Sweets – an assortment of beautiful moments from the company’s repertoire of traditional and contemporary works, with a delicious finale featuring highlights from The Nutcracker. This will give island communities the chance to enjoy some of the magic of festive ballet that they may not experience otherwise. This exciting compilation will feature a short comtemporary work Triptych by Scottish Ballet’s Choreographer In Residence Nicholas Shoesmith, Tether by choreographer Madeline Squire (also a Scottish Ballet First Artist) and the Spanish, French and English scenes from The Nutcracker, as well as the famous grand pas-de-deux featuring the popular dance of the Sugarplum Fairy.  

 

A Streetcar Named Desire

Scottish Ballet’s powerful adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire was originally staged in 2012 when it was nominated for an Olivier Award, and has toured the world since, as a firm audience favourite. Now it returns, as vital as ever, following the play’s 75th anniversary, with a whole new generation of dancers taking on the complex, intense roles in Tennessee Williams’ white-hot masterpiece. 

Regularly described as ‘narrative ballet at its very best’, the production uses stunning dance, devastating drama, pitch-perfect period design and a sizzling score used to tell the iconic story. 

Set in sultry 1940s New Orleans, where fading Southern Belle Blanche DuBois moves into her sister Stella’s apartment. However, Stella’s brutish, volatile husband Stanley sees that Blanche is not what she appears to be, and sets out to destroy her...  

Scottish Ballet’s stylish production breathes new life into the classic tale, with graceful waltzes at the DuBois family home, electrifying lindy jives in a Louisiana nightclub, and intense duets in the caged heat of Stella and Stanley’s apartment. 

Directed by Nancy Meckler and choreographed by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, with set and costume designs by Nicola Turner, and score by Peter Salem (The Crucible). 

Christopher Hampson, Artistic Director/CEO of Scottish Ballet said:

“The love and demand for Streetcar is huge so we’re delighted to be bringing it back to audiences across Scotland - this time taking the full production to Orkney and the Western Isles as well as our regular temporary ‘homes’ in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness. 75 years on, the themes in this classic tale are as urgent as ever, and I am thrilled that new audiences can experience our award-winning interpretation - and expect many will return to see it again.’

Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Choreographer, said:

“I feel blessed that Streetcar is still performed around the world after eleven years, and that it is now returning to where it was originally created, with Scottish Ballet. This was my first full-length narrative ballet, and I am grateful that I was surrounded by such a fantastic company and creative team – Nancy Meckler and Peter Salem – with whom I’ve created four other successful full-length ballets since. I can’t wait to see a new generation of dancers tackle this iconic literary story.” 

Marge Hendrick, Scottish Ballet Principal Dancer, said:

“Scottish Ballet performed Streetcar shortly after I joined the company 12 years ago as a dancer. I remember being amazed by the whole production and fascinated by the role of Blanche. Now as a principal, I’m looking forward to exploring the complexities of this character, and using my experience both on and off stage, I hope to portray Blanche with authenticity.”  

The Scottish islands leg of the tour has been kindly supported by the Bently Foundation, helping to increase Scottish Ballet’s reach to regional audiences. Alongside performances, the company will engage with local communities, running workshops and classes with adults and children of all ages. 

The tour is made possible with the support of Official Airline Partner Loganair who are flying all company members and dancers on scheduled flights to Kirkwall and Stornoway, carbon offsetting the travel through their Greenskies initiative.

A Streetcar Named Desire is presented through special arrangement with the University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee.

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